Before you buy a Toyota Hilux Pick-Up in Uganda

The Toyota Hilux (also stylized as HiLux and historically as Hi-Lux) is a series of light commercial vehicles produced and marketed by the Japanese manufacturer Toyota.

The Toyota Hilux pick-up comes in three body styles, with load sizes to suit a variety of uses, and has a strong reputation for reliability

Before you buy a Toyota Hilux Pick-Up in Uganda

The Toyota Hilux is a long selling pick-up truck since 1968. Currently 8th generation has been just launched. In the used car market, 5th (1988~1997) and 6th (1997~2004) generations are more popular. There are wide variation of engine types, for example 3.0-Liter in-line-four OHC (Overhead Cam) diesel 91ps (KF-LN167) , 2.4-Liter OHC diesel turbo and 2.0-Liter OHC gasoline.

The transmissions are 4-speed AT or 5-speed manual with drive trains FR (Front Engine Rear Drive) or 4WD (Four Wheel Drive). Safety devices vary from generation to generation but from 5th generation airbags and ABS (Anti-lock Brake System) are equipped for all models.

Buying a foreign used Toyota Hilux Pick-Up from a local Ugandan car bond

There are a number of ways you can buy a Toyota Hilux Pick-Up in Uganda today and one of the simple ways is through a car bond. Here, everything has been done by your car bond dealer. All you have to do is simply pay for the car from the car bond and drive home. However, you can also find that some Toyota Hilux Pick-Up have only been cleared the CIF fees only.

This would mean that if you want a Toyota Hilux Pick-Up then you will have to clear the rest of the taxes. You can find the Cost, Insurance and Freight of a Toyota Hilux Pick-Up (that is from Japan to Kampala) to be around $ 17,000 or even above as stated by the car bond dealers. However, the total sum of the CIF can change due to year of manufacture, condition of the car, mileage and the dealer you choose to buy your Toyota Hilux Pick-Up from.

Importing a foreign Used Toyota Hilux Pick-Up from Japan or other parts of the world

The foreign used Toyota Hilux Pick-Ups lined up for sale are more popular in Thailand and Europe. So if you prefer to import you own Toyota Hilux Pick-Up from say Japan, the things would change a bit. First it would require you to find a trusted dealer or seller in that regard, your specific car features and requirements, expected budget you plan to spend on buying the car and well calculated taxes to be paid to the tax authorities in order to clear Toyota Hilux Pick-Up.

The taxes charged by the Uganda Revenue Authority include Import Duty, Value added (VAT), Withholding Tax, Environmental Levy, Infrastructure Levy, and Registration Fees basing on the CIF of the Subaru Outback from Japan. For example a Toyota Hilux Pick-Up 2005 at a price of $14,110 will have a fee of Cost, Insurance and Freight (CIF) totaling to $17,202 to Kampala, Uganda with no Local taxes paid yet. Pick-up trucks are generally expensive in Uganda due to their multi-purpose commercial capabilities.

General Toyota Hilux Pick-Up reviews for Uganda

Looking at the load space and practicality, the wide range of body styles in the Hilux line-up means a variety of load box sizes. Single cab models offer the longest in this class, at 2,340mm. In the Hilux extra cab, the bigger interior and folding rear seats cut the load bay to 1,830mm long, which is in the middle of the pack in this market.

Double cab models combine the most practical interior with a 1,545mm load box, and again have an advantage over most rivals, with the exception of the VW Amarok and Ford Ranger. The Ford offers a similar choice of cab sizes to the Toyota, as do the Isuzu D-Max, Land Rover Defender and Mitsubishi L200, while Nissan sells the Navara Pick-Up with an extended single 'King' cab.

The Hilux has a tough reputation, having been used by adventurers to travel to the North and South Poles, and owners haven’t reported any major reliability problems. As with all pick-ups, though, drivers considering one second-hand should have any potential buy professionally inspected – many models will have led a tough life, with frequent off-road use, and any damage may not be visible from above.

All versions of the big Toyota have a driver and passenger airbag as standard, with side and curtain airbags available on invincible models, along with vehicle stability control (VSC). This rates high the Toyota Hilux Pick-Up’s reliability and safety grading.

Placing our focus on the interior and cabin, you would say in any pick-up, you as a Hilux owner have to adopt a more straight-legged driving position than in a car, due to the high ground clearance and seats positioned close to the floor. But the cabin feels built to last, as you’d expect from a Toyota. The facelift in 2012 introduced a touch screen in the centre of the dashboard on HL3 and Invincible models, plus these versions benefit from Bluetooth hands-free.

That’s on top of the air-conditioning and iPod connectivity on the HL2. In the double cab Hilux, there’s extra storage under the rear seats, although any tools and equipment left in the back of the extra cab are on display to prying eyes. To secure items stowed in the load bed, Toyota offers a wide range of tonneau covers, while the variety of hard tops available also provides extra security for the cargo space.

The 2016 Toyota Hilux has the most overall complaints, & the most-reported problem is with the 2013 Hilux for Bluetooth phone. Secondly, the Hilux Pick-Ups fitted with D4-D engines have given headache to new owners due to their advanced technology in fuel injection. You have to ensure premium fuel is fed to the car and not just any kind of fuel you come across. Maintenance costs for D4-D engine is very high as compared to conventional Toyota engines. Extra care is highly recommended.

Toyota Hilux Pick-Up competitors in Uganda

Our Verdict

The new-generation Toyota HiLux has a smooth diesel engine and comes in more varieties than any other ute. You can get it with two-wheel drive or dual-range 4WD, and among three more engine options is a powerful petrol V6. The HiLux is very good off-road, and tows very well. Toyota’s remote-area service is second to none.